The House Always Wins
by CloverKitten06
Summary: Belle is always having to pick up after her father; so when he asks her to come to his rescue for a huge gambling debt, of course she says yes. Cleaning a house seems like a small price, but what will that price be in the long run? Rumbelle AU w/ other pairings thrown in.


"Papa, you know I can't just drop everything and come there," Belle said as she stacked books. Her head was bent so that her phone was tucked between her cheek and her shoulder. She turned the stack of books she was holding slightly sideways so she could read the title and then moved to the next row of books.

"Belle, this is important," Maurice said. "I can't get around and the rent is due. You know I'm not making enough money to hire someone to help me. I still haven't gotten back on my feet from college."

Belle's jaw flexed and her nostrils flared slightly. College. She had been out of college for going on ten years now. "Yeah and I paid you that money back years ago," she said.

"I told you your mother's medical bills wiped me out too, and with my hip needing to be replaced now it's just going to get worse!" Maurice snapped. Then his tone gentled. "Belle, sweetheart, please. This shop is the only thing I have to my name. I can't lose this too. I'll lose everything if I lose this place."

Belle rolled her eyes so hard she could have sworn she saw her spine. Her father was a manipulative bastard, no getting around that, but he was her father. She let out a soft sigh and walked over to her book cart so she could put the stack down and shifted her phone into her hand so she wouldn't mess up her neck. "I'll be there tomorrow," she said, her tone dull and resigned.

"I knew you'd come through for your Papa, my girl," Maurice said brightly. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said and disconnected the line.

Belle huffed this time and put her phone away. It wasn't that her father lived far from her, it was that the only time she ever heard from him was when he needed something. She was the one who checked in; reminded him of doctor's appointments; rent day. Belle shook those thoughts from her head. She would end up down that rabbit hole and never get out of it.

When she got home from work, Belle packed a bag and called her friend in Storybrook. At least she would get to see her.

"Bells!" Ruby chirped. "How's it going?"

"I'm coming down for a bit since Papa took his fall," Belle said, figuring that Ruby knew all about it already.

There was a long beat of silence.

Belle closed her eyes. "He wants me to talk to Jefferson Hatter again doesn't he? He's behind on rent again?"

"Been borrowing money too," Ruby said quietly. "Saw him at the poker table last week at The White Rabbit."

Belle pinched the bridge of her nose and took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "How much?"

"I don't know," Ruby said, "I swear I don't, but rumor has it that Hatter told him that if he didn't pay up soon then Mr. Gold was going to get involved."

Belle shook her head and mumbled curses under her breath. Mr. Gold didn't come into town often, but when he did it wasn't good. He had a pink house on the edge of town that no one dared go near. Rumor had it that he actually lived in Boston so he could be close to his son and Hatter was the one who preferred the sleepy suburb of Storybrook and that's why he ran things for Gold there. Belle found it hard to believe that a man who liked to terrorize a small town could have a family that he was devoted to, but whatever. Monsters came in all sizes she guessed.

"You still there, Belle?" Ruby asked quietly.

"Yeah," Belle said, coming out of her stupor. "I guess I should have known he was lying to me. Either way. Can I stay with you until I fix this?"

"You should just let him fall on his face," Ruby said. "He doesn't appreciate anything you do for him," she said.

"Can I stay with you, Ruby?"

Ruby chewed the inside of her cheek. "Of course, Belle. I'll let Granny know. She'll make your favorite."

The next morning, Belle crossed into the city limits of Storybrook. Part of her loved the little town. It was cute and the people were nice for the most part. She didn't grow up here, but when she moved to Boston, her dad fell in love with the town and moved out this way. She was bound to make some friends during visits. Belle had no idea that her father would still manage to find a way to gamble away all of his life savings and then go into debt to the man who owned the town. That was her Papa though. Trouble found him.

Belle parked outside of Game of Thorns and got out of the car. She stood outside watching her father bustle around in the shop with customers while her arms stayed folded around her belly.

"Miss French. Fancy seeing you here," a voice said from a few yards away.

Belle turned to face Jefferson Hatter with a smile that only curled the corners of her mouth slightly. "Mr. Hatter," she said. Then she noticed a bigger man behind him. "Mr. Dove." Belle added so as to not be rude.

Dove nodded mutely.

Jefferson came closer and held out his hand for her to shake. "Get bored with the city?" he asked.

"Hardly," Belle said and looked back at the shop, ignoring the man's outstretched hand. Her father was staring at her and Jefferson talking with something like guilt playing in his eyes. Belle fought the urge to roll hers and turned to face Jefferson so she wouldn't have to acknowledge her father at the moment. "Would it be possible to speak with you about my father's – loan – privately please?"

Jefferson cleared his throat and put his hands back in his pockets. "I'm afraid not, Miss French," he said. "He's quite a bit behind this time and on top of the sums that he's borrowed that ended up at the tables in someone else's pocket." He shrugged. "Mr. Gold should be here any moment actually. We're here as…insurance. Mr. Gold has a temper."

"I've heard," Belle said and started tugging at her fingertips. She looked around for the tell-tale black Cadillac that tended to precede the man. Belle swallowed hard. "How much does he owe?" she asked, her brain churning for a solution.

Hatter stuck his hand out and Dove produced a ledger before putting it in the smaller man's hand. Jefferson then flipped it to Maurice French's page and skimmed until he found the total amount. "235,456 dollars and thirty four cents exactly," he said.

Belle's face went pale. "Does that include rent?" she asked quietly.

Jefferson's eyes went sympathetic. "Afraid not, Miss French. I'm sorry." And he was, but only for her. Maurice knew what he was doing and brought this on himself.

Belle swallowed hard and nodded slowly still tugging at the tips of her fingers. Even if she cleaned out her savings, she wouldn't even be able to touch a quarter of that. Her eyes darted back and forth like she was trying to find the solution in the air in front of her. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until she started to get dizzy and stumbled into someone walking on the sidewalk. Belle sucked breath into her lungs and turned to apologize, only to have it taken away all over again.

Gold's dark coffee brown eyes stared down into the ocean blue eyes of the woman before him. She looked like she was about to be sick, and he hoped not all over his shoes. "Careful, Miss," he murmured in his deep Scottish brogue.

"Sorry, Mr. Gold," Belle breathed. "I was just…" She pushed her hair out of her face with trembling hands and looked back at Jefferson.

"She wasn't aware of just how in debt her father is to you, Mr. Gold," Jefferson explained.

Recognition sparked in Gold's eyes. So this was the daughter. "Miss French," Gold said by way of greeting. "Sorry to meet you under such circumstances, but we really do have business to attend to with your father," he said and nodded to Jefferson and Dove before heading into the florist shop.

Jefferson went in behind Gold, but Dove held the door open for Belle before letting the patrons out who suddenly had other things to do today aside from shop for flowers.

Maurice looked to Belle first and then looked to Gold. "Mr. Gold," the other man said. "I wasn't expecting you to make the trip."

"Of that I have no doubt," Mr. Gold said as he looked around the shop calculating what everything was worth. Certainly not close at all to what he was owed, but it would be a start he supposed. There were other ways to recoup the money, especially once he turned the building into something else. "Do you have my money?"

"I—I have the rent money," Maurice stammered.

Mr. Gold gave a thin lipped smile. "Lovely. But it's not rent day so that holds little use for me today," he said. Yeah. Mr. Gold was a meticulous man. No early payments either.

Maurice looked to Belle with pleading eyes. "Belle," he whispered.

Belle looked back at him, honestly still too thrown by the amount of money that he owed to speak.

"Belle, do something!" Maurice hissed. "He's going to take everything from me. This man is ruthless!"

Said ruthless man's eyes were lit with predatory amusement, but also disdain. "What do you expect your daughter to do, Mr. French? Take on your debt?"

Belle's heart stuttered at the thought of having to take on such a huge debt. Her schooling hadn't cost that much. She couldn't imagine being in that kind of debt for anything other than a nice house in the countryside with a room big enough to fit all of her books.

"Belle!"

"Papa, I can't," she said quietly. "I don't have that kind of money."

"You must have something," Maurice spat. "You went to all that school that I paid for. That fancy museum job you have must pay well."

Color flooded Belle's face and she started to tug at her fingers again. She refused to look at Jefferson or Gold. No. She wouldn't look at them until she could compose herself. Finally she straightened her spine and schooled her face into a mask of calm collectedness. "Perhaps an arrangement could be made?" she asked Mr. Gold.

Gold was furious. This little worm was forcing his own child to clean up his mess. He should throw the useless excuse for a man out on his ass now. He wished he still had his cane. Being crippled had some uses. "I'm afraid, Miss French," he said, brogue thick with his anger, "that unless you have the money, I'm not interested in any arrangements with you."

"Please, Mr. Gold," Belle said quietly. "I know he owes you a lot of money, and I'm sure he can at least start making the payments again. There must be something I can do for you. Anything."

Yep. Gold missed his cane a lot in that moment. His eyes narrowed on the sniveling florist and he could feel heat starting to rise along the back of his neck.

Jefferson cleared his throat quietly. "There is that matter coming up."

Gold's ire left him, but only slightly and he took a moment to collect his thoughts. His fingers drummed against his leg and finally he turned his gaze back to the girl who would be willing to dig her father out of the horrid mess he found himself in. He had to admire her courage and selflessness if nothing else. "How are your housekeeping skills, Miss French?"


End file.
